Power of Life
by Aarazlyn
Summary: TOKO, Postwar. A VEEEEEEEERY interesting time with toph. in zukos bedroom. Ratem M for a reason.


Ohgosh. Well, this has been in my mind for awhile so. Here I'm writing again. Hehe. Postwar, interesting plot.

Enjoy!

. . .

The Moment I said It

Toph Bei Fong was left, blind, on a bed. In the Fire Nation.

It's not like she wanted to be there.

Not at all. But really, what could she do about it?

It's not like she could stand.

Or bend.

Or really speak a cohesive sentence without sobbing.

She knew it was all out of character. But weeks ago her family had announced that she was to be used as an alliance between the Earth and Fire nations. That night the guards caught her while she tried to make an escape. She had been fighting them with ease, because, no way in the name of Agni would she let herself, _The Blind Bandit_, be _used_ as an _alliance! _She honestly hoped the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom could work out trading issues, but she felt no need for her to be used as some type of scapegoat. Unfortunately, while she was burying a few of the guards, some sort of circus freak guru thing person (Kind of like Ty lee) came up behind her and jabbed her in several pressure points. Her body, much to her surprise, crumpled. She had been unable to bend since then.

Toph remembered a tense and bumpy ship ride to the Fire Nation.

Her parents didn't even tell her who she was to be married to.

She was informed soon after her arrival that it was a _custom_ the night before a wedding for the man to 'take' the woman. This was the first Toph had heard of this. She couldn't believe it. She was only sixteen, for Agni's sake!

Apparently, that never stopped her parents.

So here she was, on a bed, blind. Desperate for any sound of the man, whoever he was, to enter the room.

She was hoping, no, _praying_ she could convince the man to not do this. To explain her situation. To have him _understand_ that this was not right.

She was brought out of her reverie by sounds coming from outside her door.

Toph strained her ears to understand the words that were being shouted outside her room. Something like "THERE IS NO WAY…"

A quiet voice, calming. She couldn't hear the words.

Than a bellowed "FINE!" and the door to her room was opened with a bang. Closed just as loudly, making her flinch a bit. She was hoping the man would be the weak and mopey kind of guy.

This man sounded like a freakin _sadist_.

A few sighs, seeming to sooth the man into calm. A shuffle of feet. A sharp intake of breath.

The maids at the Fire Nation Capital were kind, soothing, and occasionally teasing toward the girl, and as they prepared her for that night, they had chattered away happily. She had asked about Firelord Zuko, being curious about her friend from the war, also the man that made her heart beat quickly. At the mention of his name, the women had quieted down. Something was muttered about a 'Lady Mai' leaving (Toph had smirked. At least the unfeeling witch had left) and Zuko being saddened by that, also that he was in search of a Fire Lady. She had pondered this and thought bitterly

_Well geez, if I got a choice in marriage, he would be the one. Easily. But of course I don't have a choice. _

She had protested as the women took down her raven colored tresses, fanning them about her body. They had put her in a filmy short gown, and apparently, lying on the bed in an 'artful' position, she looked like a fire goddess. She was not pleased. But she remained in the position.

She heard him walk closer to her.

Her heartbeat accelerated. She didn't want this to happen, she couldn't do this, she couldn't, she couldn't…

A hand stroked her tear lined cheek. She could tell he felt her violent flinch.

"Toph… What happened to you?"

Her eyes snapped open. Um. _What?_

She then realized that the man surely knew her name. But she felt she had heard the voice before…

Toph couldn't place it though.

A soft chuckle came from the man as she felt him sit on the bed. His hand wiped away at her tears. Then continued to stroke her face. Her hair.

She was shivering. The young woman felt so _dirty_.

She knew she couldn't go through with this at all. Her body snapped up into a sitting position.

The man drew his hand away in shock.

Toph was off the bed and across the room in a flash. She was in a fighting stance. Maybe the man didn't know of her nonexistent bending.

She heard him stand up off the bed.

"Toph, what is _wrong _with you? Don't start pelting rocks at me! Anyway, you look ridicules standing like that in lingerie…"

She masked her face into the harshest glare she could manage. She still felt like she couldn't talk.

Footsteps walking toward her.

"What's wrong? I'm coming closer… Why haven't you thrown a boulder at me yet? Or made me fall into the ground? God, your acting like you have no bending…"

She felt her face crumble and her body followed suit. Sobs racked her body. She was on the floor, tears making her tiny body convulse and cause her immense pain.

"_What the hell!" _ The man exclaimed in horror, rushing to her small form. Instantly his arms were around her, his hands rubbing soothing circles on her back.

She jerked away from him and scrambled away. Right into a wall. Smacking her head, she let out another cry and sobbed harder. Suddenly she felt herself being pinned to the wall.

"_TOPH!_ _What is going on with you!_ Why are you _crying! _Come on, your Toph! Toph the Tough! The Blind Bandit! The Greatest Earthbender in the World for Agni's sake!"

_How did he know that? What voice…._

_Oh._

Toph's eyes slowly opened (though it didn't mean much, since she couldn't 'see' him anyway, but she

felt in may be reassuring for him) and her hands felt around until she felt his face. And she confirmed

her suspicions.

"S-s-sp-spa…" she was stuttering between sobs, but she instantly felt reassured. His hand stroked her

Tear-stained cheeks again. Soothing her to go on.

"Sp-spa- SPARKY!" she squealed as she threw her hands around his neck. His body fell backwards at the

sudden weight that had been thrown at him. He then laughed and wrapped his arms around her and

held her close and smiled.

"We'd better get going If we're gonna get the guards down and outta here," she whispered in his ear urgently.

"And oh, I can't believe you came to save me! How did you _know!_" Her voice was excited and happy.

Zuko put a hand on her back.

"I didn't."

She paused and just stared at him for a moment. He couldn't be serious. Of course he had known…

Then she remembered the shouting.

Toph shoved herself off his chest and stood.

"Are you saying that you came in here _willingly_ to take my virginity, use me as a peace treaty, make me

some Fire Lady, and you _didn't even consider how I would feel about this?_" She was screaming now. He stood up, grasped her shoulders and bent down so his face was level with hers.

"This was my duty. I did not know it would be you. I have to do this for my nation, Toph."

Disgust pitted her stomach. So he would do this to any woman? Pitiful.

"So your willing to let somebody take away your bending, _my only way of sight_, so you can have some fucked up duty to your nation! Zuko. Did you _know_ they would do this to me!"

She had noticed his breathing had stopped at 'take away you're bending'. Her chest was heaving and she felt on the verge of tears again.

His grip on her tightened.

"They took away your bending?" Deadly calm.

She punched him in the gut, getting a satisfactory 'oof!' and glared.

"Would you still be alive if I had it? I think not."

He contemplated this matter. Then, with horror, realized what must be done for Toph's bending to return.

He stared at her, not quite knowing what to do. He could say it and get hit, but she would regain her bending. Or he could spend hours of time trying to find another way, and they had to do it that night anyway because people had to check and make sure it was done…

He opted for the first option. Zuko wasn't sure how to go about what he needed to do, so he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Her body froze. He could see the emotions of shock, horror, anger, and confusion run across her face.

Then she simply pushed him away.

"_What in Agni do you think your doing?"_ it was said in a furious whisper.

His lips made themselves known against hers again.

Flinching again, she pushed him back.

He sighed. Drew away.

"Listen. I know how to get your bending back."

She looked at him, obviously hopeful.

"I'll do anything!" She exclaimed.

He looked down at her.

"There are certain pressure points that are calmed and released during, er, certain activities. It's like unblocking your chakras. And at the end you'll have your bending back!

She beamed up at him, anticipating more.

"What kind of 'certain activities?" She sounded bubbly.

He shifted his weight side to side. She could feel extra heat radiating from him, he was blushing.

"Um… That would be sex, Toph."

Shocked silence ensued.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

"Well," her face was pondering. "I guess it would happen tonight anyway. They have people check in the morning, right?"

They did. But oh, Agni. Toph?

Zuko had to admit, Toph had not grown in height whatsoever. But her once almost-curvless body had defined itself. She was the perfect picture of a doll. Though, if he admitted that to her she might just kill him. He realized that the feelings for her that he pushed aside during travels with the Avatar and 'Gaang' had always been there, they just made themselves scarce. But now, as he stared at her, they came back in full swing. A memory rushed into his mind.

. . .

_It was the day of his coronation. He had just exchanged a kiss with Mai, but then she had laughed in his face and told him she might come back once he matured. It was a slap in the face to him, but mattered little. It was then he saw the thirteen year old Earthbender staring in his direction. He walked toward her, smiling despite he knew she couldn't see it. His arms encircled her in happiness that the war was over at last! And peace would finally restore itself! Her arms wound around his neck as he spun her around in happiness. She would be staying for two weeks before returning to her home. She felt her parents might finally accept her for who she was once they learned of her part in ending the war. _

"_You did it, Princess!" she exclaimed with a flushed grin. He didn't know of her feelings for him. Yet. But, the same was for him. _

_The time flew, Zuko always in a meeting or out settling disputes in town with Toph at his aid. Well, more like he aided Toph. But still. On the last day, as she was packing up to leave the Palace, Zuko invited her to a sparring match. They both had wills of steel, and were both determined to win. _

_She ended up pinned to the ground with him tickling her into submission. His lips kissed her forehead, temple, cheek, and finally they pressed down on her virgin lips. Her reaction was immediate, threading hands in his hair and pulling him deeper into the kiss. The kiss seemed to last forever, with whispered 'I love you's' and sweet nuzzles, but Toph realized she had to leave before dark. As she parted from Zuko with one last kiss, she smiled and said "Never Forget."_

He never did…

. . .

He knew what he was going to do. Sweeping Toph off her feet and placing her on the bed, he climbed over and leaned down to kiss her sweetly, but was distracted by her hand running absently along the underside of his shirt. As her fingers ghosted over his stomach, Lust decided to run his brain. He crushed his lips to hers, probing her mouth open with his tongue, and running it across the roof of her mouth, tasting her. His hands soon found the bottom of her little night gown and ghosted along her thighs. He felt her gasp at the sensation of something so close to her core. He chuckled into the kiss and ripped her night gown away from her body. His mouth traveled down to her neck and grazed it with his teeth, hearing her elicit a moan of pleasure. He moved downwards.

. . .

The guards posted outside the door were beet red from the sounds that were made in that room.

One looked at the other, commenting:

"Well, at least we have no need to check in the morning…"

. . .

The End

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